--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have one request: may I never use my…" description: "\"I have one request: may I never use my reason against truth.\" — Elie Wiesel" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/elie-wiesel-341_education_i-have-one-request-may-i-never-use-my-re_3086737.png" --- # I have one request: may I never use my reason against truth. ![“I have one request: may I never use my reason against truth.” quote by Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/elie-wiesel-341_education_i-have-one-request-may-i-never-use-my-re_3086737.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/elie-wiesel-341_education_i-have-one-request-may-i-never-use-my-re_3086737.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/elie-wiesel-341_education_i-have-one-request-may-i-never-use-my-re_3086737.png) > “I have one request: may I never use my reason against truth.” [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Advocates for aligning rational thought with objective truth, avoiding self‑deception. **In simple terms:** Use reason to support truth, not undermine it. Key Takeaway Seek truth, question bias. Themes ethics truth reason Mood reflective serious Type ethical philosophical When to use this quote - personal decision making - public discourse - education - media consumption Key Concepts philosophy integrity cognitive bias Questions to Reflect On - How do you ensure your reasoning serves truth? - What biases challenge your perception? A Different Perspective Human emotions can distort truth, making pure reason hard to maintain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) [Reason Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason-truth-773039/) [Request](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/request/) [Request Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/request-use-5289738/) [Truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Use Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-reason-1069385/) ## Related quotes > [“Whenever passion prevails over reason, truth becomes a casualty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/whenever-passion-prevails-over-reason-truth-becomes-a-casualty/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [“Do you have reason? I have. Why then do you not use it? For if reason does its own work, what else could you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/do-you-have-reason-i-have-why-then-do-you-not-use-it-for-if-reason/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) > [Since attaining the full use of my reason no one has ever heard me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lord-chesterfield/since-attaining-the-full-use-of-my-reason-no-one-has-ever-heard-me/) [Lord Chesterfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lord-chesterfield/) > [Most of the time you should use reason, there is no doubt about that because gut often makes us susceptible to lots of different…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/most-of-the-time-you-should-use-reason-there-is-no-doubt-about-that/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [In an argument; Men use reason and never have enough. Women use emotion and always have too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-an-argument-men-use-reason-and-never-have-enough-women-use-emotion/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“. . .it is not my design to teach the method that everyone must follow in order to use his reason properly, but only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/descartes/it-is-not-my-design-to-teach-the-method-that-everyone-must-follow-in/) [Descartes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/descartes/) > [“The use of reason is to justify the obscure desires that move our conduct, impulses, passions, prejudices and follies, and also our fears.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-use-of-reason-is-to-justify-the-obscure-desires-that-move-our/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [I love to see folks use reason if they have got any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marietta-holley/i-love-to-see-folks-use-reason-if-they-have-got-any/) [Marietta Holley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marietta-holley/) > [He only employs his passion who can make no use of his reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/he-only-employs-his-passion-who-can-make-no-use-of-his-reason/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [Men use to reason with themselves: It will not always be health, let us lay up for sickness; it will not always be youth,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lancelot-andrewes/men-use-to-reason-with-themselves-it-will-not-always-be-health-let-us/) [Lancelot Andrewes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lancelot-andrewes/) > [If God had not intended that Women shou'd use their Reason, He wou'd not have given them any, 'for He does nothing in vain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-astell/if-god-had-not-intended-that-women-shou-d-use-their-reason-he-wou-d/) [Mary Astell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-astell/) > [“If you believe people use reason for the important decisions in life, you will go through life feeling confused and frustrated that others seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-you-believe-people-use-reason-for-the-important-decisions-in-life/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [When learned men begin to use their reason, then I generally discover that they haven't got any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-learned-men-begin-to-use-their-reason-then-i-generally-discover/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We are often in society told to make decisions in one of two ways. We're either told "Use your gut, just go with how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/we-are-often-in-society-told-to-make-decisions-in-one-of-two-ways-we/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [Let him make use of instinct who cannot make use of reason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ray/let-him-make-use-of-instinct-who-cannot-make-use-of-reason/) [John Ray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ray/) ## More by Elie Wiesel > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [One more stab to the heart, one more reason to hate. One less reason to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/one-more-stab-to-the-heart-one-more-reason-to-hate-one-less-reason-to/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“What all these victims need above all is to know that they are not alone; that we are not forgetting them, that when their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/what-all-these-victims-need-above-all-is-to-know-that-they-are-not/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I feel that books, just like people, have a destiny. Some invite sorrow, others joy, some both.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-feel-that-books-just-like-people-have-a-destiny-some-invite-sorrow/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [ \[Chinese\] are a huge empire now, you'll soon be - in a few years two billion people in the world. So, you should be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/chinese-are-a-huge-empire-now-you-ll-soon-be-in-a-few-years-two/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Did I write it so as not to go mad or, on the contrary, to go mad in order to understand the nature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/did-i-write-it-so-as-not-to-go-mad-or-on-the-contrary-to-go-mad-in/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Take the story of Cain and Abel. Why were we given that story? Scientifically, you may have an explanation for it, but I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/take-the-story-of-cain-and-abel-why-were-we-given-that-story/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Mankind must remember that peace is not God's gift to his creatures; peace is our gift to each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/mankind-must-remember-that-peace-is-not-god-s-gift-to-his-creatures/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [The world? The world is not interested in us. Today, everything is possible, even the crematoria...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/the-world-the-world-is-not-interested-in-us-today-everything-is/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [every question possessed a power that was lost in the answer . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/every-question-possessed-a-power-that-was-lost-in-the-answer/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [I think this century more than any other really has seen the phenomenon of people being uprooted in such numbers, such a degree. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-think-this-century-more-than-any-other-really-has-seen-the/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [His cold eyes stared at me. At last, he said wearily: "I have more faith in Hitler than in anyone else. He alone has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/his-cold-eyes-stared-at-me-at-last-he-said-wearily-i-have-more-faith/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [As you know, I describe Shirat ha-Yam as part of an epic story that has qualities of history and which also has qualities of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/as-you-know-i-describe-shirat-ha-yam-as-part-of-an-epic-story-that/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Every Jew, somewhere in his being, should set apart a zone of hate -healthy virile hate- for what the German personifies and for what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/every-jew-somewhere-in-his-being-should-set-apart-a-zone-of-hate/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [“Did hope help us to survive, or not? Too many families clung to it all through the war, thus falling into the enemy's trap.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/did-hope-help-us-to-survive-or-not-too-many-families-clung-to-it-all/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) [Explore all 662 Elie Wiesel quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) [Ted Martinez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-martinez/) > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. 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But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) [Ioannes Amos Commenius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ioannes-amos-commenius/) > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) [H.D. (Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-hilda-doolittle/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I have one request: may I never use my reason against truth.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Elie Wiesel" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-have-one-request-may-i-never-use-my-reason-against-truth/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-have-one-request-may-i-never-use-my-reason-against-truth/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/elie-wiesel-341_education_i-have-one-request-may-i-never-use-my-re_3086737.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/elie-wiesel-341_education_i-have-one-request-may-i-never-use-my-re_3086737.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1e8/elie-wiesel-341_education_i-have-one-request-may-i-never-use-my-re_3086737.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have one request: may I never use my reason against truth.” — Elie Wiesel", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Elie Wiesel", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have one request: may I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-have-one-request-may-i-never-use-my-reason-against-truth/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/i-have-one-request-may-i-never-use-my-reason-against-truth/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```